DUQUM: Ahmed bin Zayed al Mahrami, Chairman of Bin Zayed International Investment Group, and Board of Directors of Shomookh Mining Industries Company said that the construction of the projects of Shomookh Complex for Mining Industries and Duqm Commercial Tourism Gate will begin in the first quarter of 2019. He hoped that the first phase of the projects would be completed in the last quarter of the current year.
In an interview with Duqm Economist magazine, to be released on Sunday, Al Mahrami indicated that the said complex in the Special Economic Zone in Duqm (SEZD) is the first of its kind in the Sultanate.
“It aims to translate the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to enhance the added value of the mineral wealth available in the Sultanate and make it a tributary for the national economy,” indicated Al Mahrami, “This would also provide about 700 job opportunities in the Complex and 1,300 in the Gate project.”
He said that the company started to conduct soil tests and prepare the outline of the complex and coordination with the factories on the technical specifications considered in the preparation of the outline of the mining complex.
al Mahrami
He said a number of factories are attracted to work in the complex. “Until the end of 2018, we attracted nine plants built in several stages. The first phase will include a factory for clinker production and another for calcium hydroxide, while the later stages will include a lime production plant and factories for dyes, glass, aluminium, waste containers, fertiliser and poultry.
Ahmed bin Zayed al Mahrami revealed that the first phase of Duqm Commercial and Tourism Gate would include the establishment of a mall with a rental area of about 16,000 square metres, while the total area of the mall will be 32,000 square metres.
He added that the mall will include a number of international brands that will open branches in Duqm for the first time, including Carrefour and Vox Cinema, which will have 5 cinema theatres, Starbucks, Costa and other international brands for clothing, perfumes, electronics and some Arab, international, and fast food restaurants. The mall will also include branches for three commercial banks, lounges for telecommunications companies, and 60 different stores.
He added that the aim of these projects is to enrich the commercial life in Duqm and provide the people there with a variety of commercial and recreational services. The projects are in line with SEZD economic objectives to be an ideal destination for work, accommodation and stability.
He explained that the other components of the commercial tourism gate would also contribute to achieving these goals. The first phase of the project includes a business centre equipped with all administrative services needed by businesspersons and investors. The project also includes meeting rooms, including a hall that can accommodate 250 people, which will contribute to keeping pace with the growth of demand for these services with the high pace of economic and social development in Duqm.
He also reviewed the other components of Duqm Commercial Tourism Gate project and said that the second phase will include a hospital, a water park and an international school, adding that the work will begin in the beginning of 2020.
— ONA
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